Digital Filter – Introduction

What is a system?

A system is a rule that maps an input signal to an output signal. In continuous time and discrete time we depict and denote: \[ x(t)\ \longrightarrow\ y(t),\qquad x[n]\ \longrightarrow\ y[n]. \] These are the standard input–output representations used throughout the text.

Input–output operator notation

We often write the system as an operator ( {} ): \[ y(t)=\mathcal{T}\{x(t)\},\qquad y[n]=\mathcal{T}\{x[n]\}. \] Block diagrams are used to represent systems and interconnections (series/cascade and parallel).

Interconnections (examples)

• Series (cascade): output of System 1 feeds System 2.
• Parallel: both systems process the same input; outputs are summed. These patterns are foundational for building complex systems from simpler ones.

Property: Memoryless vs. with memory

• Memoryless: the output at an instant depends only on the input at that same instant.
• With memory: the output depends on past/future values (e.g., accumulators, averagers). Example: the summer/accumulator (running sum) and its inverse (first difference) illustrate systems with memory: \[ y[n]=\sum_{k=-\infty}^{n} x[k],\qquad \text{inverse: } y[n]=x[n]-x[n-1]. \] Both are causal (see next slide)

Property: Causality (general and LTI)

Causal: output depends only on present/past input values. For LTI systems, causality is characterized by the impulse response: \[ \text{Discrete time: } h[n]=0\ \text{for } n<0;\qquad \text{Continuous time: } h(t)=0\ \text{for } t<0. \] Under these conditions, the convolution reduces to depend only on past/present input.

Property: Stability (BIBO)

Bounded-Input Bounded-Output (BIBO) stability: bounded input implies bounded output. For LTI systems: \[ \sum_{k=-\infty}^{\infty} |h[k]| < \infty \quad \Longleftrightarrow \quad \text{discrete-time LTI is stable}, \] \[ \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} |h(t)|\,dt < \infty \quad \Longleftrightarrow \quad \text{continuous-time LTI is stable}. \] These are necessary and sufficient conditions.

Property: Linearity (superposition)

A system is linear if it satisfies additivity and homogeneity: for any signals (x_1,x_2) and scalar (c), \[ \mathcal{T}\{x_1+x_2\}=\mathcal{T}\{x_1\}+\mathcal{T}\{x_2\},\qquad \mathcal{T}\{c\,x\}=c\,\mathcal{T}\{x\}. \] (These two conditions together are equivalent to linearity.)

Property: Time invariance (definition)

A system is time-invariant if a shift in the input produces an identical shift in the output: \[ \mathcal{T}\{x(t-t_0)\}=y(t-t_0),\ \text{whenever}\ y(t)=\mathcal{T}\{x(t)\}. \] Analogously in discrete time with shifts by integer indices. (Definition used throughout the text in system properties and LTI analysis.)

Property: Invertibility

A system is invertible if distinct inputs produce distinct outputs; equivalently, there exists an inverse system that recovers the input from the output. Example pair (discrete time): the accumulator and the first-difference operator are inverses: \[ y[n]=\sum_{k=-\infty}^{n} x[k] \quad \Longleftrightarrow \quad x[n]=y[n]-y[n-1]. \]

Additional note: Interconnections and LTI analysis

For LTI systems, interconnections admit simple algebraic descriptions via transforms: e.g., in the Laplace domain, series and parallel lead to product and sum of system functions, respectively: \[ H_{\text{series}}(s)=H_1(s)H_2(s),\qquad H_{\text{parallel}}(s)=H_1(s)+H_2(s). \]

Digital Filter – Introduction

Digital Filter – Introduction

Convolution